The present invention relates to a method for achieving roaming capabilities, and for performing interactive CGI implanting, into video footage. The invention further relates to interactive computer games made by the method.
xe2x80x9cFirst personxe2x80x9d real-life simulation games, where the player enacts the role of the hero while viewing the world through his eyes, are very widespread. Some types of such games include car racing, skiing, catch-the-bad-guy or dodge-the-bullets, etc. These games are almost uniquely CGI based, since video lacks the interactive ability needed for a player to participate in such a game. A filmed xe2x80x9cfirst-personxe2x80x9d action scene, such as a car race filmed through the windshield of a participating car, lacks the ability to enable a player to change what he is seeing in real time (i.e. move to the sides, slow down or speed up, adding of other cars on the track etc.), thus eliminating the possibility of using such a scene for these purposes (or for any other purpose needing interactive capabilities).
Although the art has dealt with many aspects of image processing and computer games, and has addressed various problems connected with the insertion of computer generated images (CGI) into real images, it has so far failed to provide simple and efficient methods by which it is possible to implant CGI into video footage, and to achieve interactive roaming capabilities.
By xe2x80x9croaming capabilityxe2x80x9d it is meant to indicate the ability to simulate a movement of the camera inside the frame, by changing the viewer""s point of view (angle and location).
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method for adding interactive capabilities to filmed video footage depicting a scene.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for implanting CGI objects into the world depicted in a picture, which is a part of a real-life scene.
It is still another object of the invention to provide means for simulating camera movements inside a filmed frame, and to obtain new points-of-view that were not originally filmed, using a single point-of-view.
It is still another purpose of this invention to provide computer games which utilize the method of the invention and which provide CGI interactive operation, and roaming capabilities.
Other purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The invention is directed to a method for implanting a CGI object into a real image sequence, and for obtaining roaming capability therein, including modeling the picture into which the CGI object is to be implanted by creating therefor imaginary borders consisting of perpendicular planes and a floor, providing a three-dimensional vector representing the movement of the camera between each frame, and expanding said vector to a plane by calculating the movement of the camera to the left and to the right of the original location while maintaining its original angles.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to achieve CGI implantation coinciding with the surface on which the camera moves, the floor is included of a plurality of planes essentially coinciding with the slope and direction of the surface on which the camera moved when filming the frames.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention in order to achieve roaming capabilities, for each frame a single plateau is provided as the floor. In one preferred embodiment of the invention the single plateau is the plane which approximates best the real average surface. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention the single plateau is the expansion of the plateau nearest to the camera forward towards infinity.
The invention also encompasses a computer game including CGI implantation, and roaming capabilities, whenever prepared by the method of the invention.
Furthermore, it should be understood as substantially equivalent that the present invention relates to an article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for implanting a CGI object into a real image sequence, and for obtaining roaming capability therein, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture including: first computer readable program code for causing a computer to model the picture into which the CGI object is to be implanted by creating therefor imaginary borders consisting of perpendicular planes and a floor; tied to the first computer readable program code, second computer readable program code for causing the computer to provide a three-dimensional vector representing the movement of the camera between each frame; and tied to the second computer readable program code, third computer readable program code for causing the computer expand said vector to a plane by calculating the movement of the camera to the left and to the right of the original location while maintaining its original angles.
Likewise, it should be acknowledged that the present invention relates to a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for implanting a CGI object into a real image sequence, and for obtaining roaming capability therein, said method steps including: modeling the picture into which the CGI object is to be implanted by creating therefor imaginary borders consisting of perpendicular planes and a floor, providing a three-dimensional vector representing the movement of the camera between each frame, and expanding said vector to a plane by calculating the movement of the camera to the left and to the right of the original location while maintaining its original angles.
In addition, it should be recognized that the present invention relates to an article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for a computer game for implanting a CGI object into a real image sequence, and for obtaining roaming capability therein, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture including: first computer readable program code for causing a computer to model the picture into which the CGI object is to be implanted by creating therefor imaginary borders consisting of perpendicular planes and a floor; tied to the first computer readable program code, second computer readable program code for causing the computer to provide a three-dimensional vector representing the movement of the camera between each frame; and tied to the second computer readable program code, third computer readable program code for causing the computer expand said vector to a plane by calculating the movement of the camera to the left and to the right of the original location while maintaining its original angles.
It should also be appreciated that the present invention relates to a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for a computer game for implanting a CGI object into a real image sequence, and for obtaining roaming capability therein, said method steps including: modeling the picture into which the CGI object is to be implanted by creating therefor imaginary borders consisting of perpendicular planes and a floor, providing a three-dimensional vector representing the movement of the camera between each frame, and expanding said vector to a plane by calculating the movement of the camera to the left and to the right of the original location while maintaining its original angles.